TexAgs

{{Short description|Texas A&M University fan website}}

{{Infobox website

| name = TexAgs

| logo = TexAgs Logo.png

| url = {{URL|http://www.texags.com/}}

| commercial = Mixed

| type = Online community

| language = English

| registration = Optional

| owner = Maroon & White, LP.

| author = Peter Kuo

| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1998|07|22}}{{cite news | title=College football fans zone in on the Web | author=Griffin, Tim | date=1999-07-31 | newspaper=San Antonio Express-News}}

| current_status = Active

}}

TexAgs is an independent Texas A&M University fan website. It features articles, chat, forums, and recruiting information about Texas A&M Aggie sports. The website receives an average of 1,000,000 pageviews per day,{{cite news |url=http://texags.com/s/5619/media-kit |title=TexAgs Media Kit| publisher=TexAgs|accessdate=2015-06-18|date=2015-06-18}} and {{As of|2008|06|lc=on}}, TexAgs was the sixth most-visited college sports website{{Cite web|url=http://www.alexa.com/browse/general/?&CategoryID=30288&mode=general&R=True&Start=1&SortBy=Popularity|title=Most Popular In College and University|accessdate=2008-06-04|publisher=Alexa Internet|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331142333/http://www.alexa.com/browse/general|archivedate=2008-03-31}} and the most visited NCAA Division I-A website.{{Cite web|url=http://www.alexa.com/browse?&CategoryID=108124|title=Most Popular In NCAA Division I-A|publisher=Alexa Internet|accessdate=2008-06-04|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331224319/http://www.alexa.com/browse|archivedate=2008-03-31}} During the 2012 college football season, the website received an average of 500,000 monthly unique visitors.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24011044/message-boards-texags-tigerdroppings-keep-college-football-weird|title=Welcome to college football's never-ending online tailgate|author=Scarborough, Alex|date=2013-07-01|website=ESPN|publisher=ESPN|url-status=dead|accessdate=2018-07-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719153248/http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24011044/message-boards-texags-tigerdroppings-keep-college-football-weird|archive-date=2018-07-19}}

TexAgs was created by Peter Kuo in May 1997 and sold to its current operators in December 1999.{{Cite news| last = Buckley| first = Christopher B.| title = Cyber Fanatics: TexAgs.com fans commune online| newspaper = The Battalion| date = 2008-06-23| url = http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2008/06/23/News/Cyber.Fanatics-3384275-page2.shtml}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} When it debuted, TexAgs only had 2,000-3,000 members, and forums only discussed Aggie football. In February 2007, The Association of Former Students announced a marketing partnership with TexAgs.com.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aggienetwork.com/release.aspx?p=492|title=TexAgs.com and The Association Announce Strategic Marketing Partnership|date=2007-02-01|accessdate=2008-07-12}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} As of 2007, there were more than 60,000 accounts. The website never used any form of advertising for promotion, as it grew popular via word of mouth.{{cite news|url=http://www.kbtx.com/collegenews/2922551.html|title=The TexAgs Internet Explosion|publisher=KBTX|accessdate=2007-06-24|date=2006-10-28|author=Fullhart, Steve|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611102537/http://www.kbtx.com/collegenews/2922551.html|archivedate=2007-06-11}} As of 2013, there were over 9,500 paying subscribers, and the website presently includes over 50 different forums.{{Cite web|url=http://texags.com/forums|title=TexAgs Forums|accessdate=2015-06-18|date=2015-06-18|publisher=TexAgs}}

Notable forum posts include one that disclosed that former University of Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar received payment for non-worked hours from a local auto dealership seven months before the University kicked the player off of the team and reported the infraction to the NCAA.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/sports/ncaabasketball/15roberts.html|title=Internet Whistleblowers Go Where N.C.A.A. Fears to Tread|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=2008-07-12|date=2007-07-15|author=Roberts, Selena}}{{cite news|url=http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2006/08/29/Sports/The-Wonderful.Web-2249757.shtml|title=TexAgs' Brandon Jones turned a hobby into a career|author=Steele, Michael|date=2006-08-29|accessdate=2007-06-24|newspaper=The Battalion|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111429/http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2006/08/29/Sports/The-Wonderful.Web-2249757.shtml|archivedate=2007-09-29}} Former University President and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has posted as "Ranger65".{{cite news|url=http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/9866661|title=Our best defense shouldn't come from a message board|work=CBS Sports|accessdate=2008-09-04|date=2006-12-12|author=Doyel, Gregg|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120913000514/http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/9866661|archivedate=2012-09-13}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?forum_id=5&topic_id=768382|title=Dr. Gates breaks cover|accessdate=2007-06-24|date=2006-12-07|publisher=TexAgs}}{{cite news|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/texasam/stories/120906dnspogates.2afb538.html|title=Anonymous posts on TexAgs.com came from Gates|newspaper=The Dallas Morning News|date=2006-12-08|accessdate=2007-07-15|author=Cohen, Rachel}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?forum_id=5&topic_id=946806|title=Post on Texags by Secretary Gates|publisher=TexAgs|accessdate=2007-09-17}}[http://www.statefansnation.com/index.php/archives/2007/07/20/i-doubt-that-nc-state-has-a-ranger65/ I doubt that NC State has a Ranger65 at StateFans Nation] In April 2010, TexAgs gained national attention when a forum member posting as "dermdoc" posted of terminating an employee because of increased costs due to Obamacare. The employee happened to have voted for President Barack Obama.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100410025533/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20001984-503544.html CBS News][http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/04/aggie_doc_fires_obama.php The Houston Press] Texas A&M graduate and US Astronaut Mike Fossum posted late on July 29, 2011 from the International Space Station using an account TexAgs staff set up for him earlier that day.[https://texags.com/forums/27/topics/1874692/replies/27531243 TexAgs.com: Aggies Only]{{subscription required}}

In 2009, the website became an affiliate of ESPN.com as part of the 20 college TEAM Sports Network,{{cite news|url=http://www.aggiesports.com/Sports/AGGIE-ROUNDUP2009-01-20T22-20-09|title=January 21, 2009 AGGIE ROUNDUP}} but that relationship has since ended.{{Cite web|url=http://texags.com/forums/5/topics/1886487|title=Would you sign up for an ESPN-free TexAgs?|accessdate=2015-06-18|date=2011-08-14|publisher=TexAgs}}

On August 22, 2011, TexAgs radio was launched as a daily Aggie sports talk show on KZNE 1150 The Zone. The show airs for three hours on weekdays and includes a one-hour TV show simulcast. Hosts include David Nuño, Billy Liucci, and Olin Buchanan.

As of 2019, TexAgs had four owners, nineteen full-time employees, fourteen part-time employees, and seven interns.[http://texags.com/staff TexAgs Staff Page]